undermining


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un·der·mine

 (ŭn′dər-mīn′)
tr.v. un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing, un·der·mines
1. To weaken by wearing away a base or foundation: Water has undermined the stone foundations.
2. To weaken, injure, or impair, often by degrees or imperceptibly; sap: Late hours can undermine one's health.
3. To dig a mine or tunnel beneath.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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undermining

noun
A deliberate and underhanded effort to defeat or do harm to an endeavor:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
The heart-breaking, conspiring, undermining toil of years approached fruition.
But, let me tell you, you are a good deal paler and thinner than when you first left home; and we cannot have you undermining your health to hoard up money either for yourself or others.'
We can't bear the plotting and undermining that takes place.
Weeks had no intention of undermining the boy's faith, but he was deeply interested in religion, and found it an absorbing topic of conversation.
He had calculated on undermining her affection for her husband--and whither had his calculations led him?
The White House announced the decision, signed by US President Donald Trump, to deal with the extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the US and the acts of some people aimed at undermining the legitimate and democratically-elected Lebanese government and its institutions.
It further quoted Mr Ortagus as saying: 'The Secretary of State is imposing visa restrictions on Nigerians believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria.
She went on to say the federal government's move is completely undermining 18th Amendment and a blatant attempt to undermine the Sindh Government's proficiency.
By KENNEDY KIMANTHI The Anglican Church of Kenya has warned that the campaign against corruption can only succeed if Kenyans stopped deliberately undermining institutions mandated to fight it.Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit suggested that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji and Judiciary should now adopt a more aggressive approach in their work.
"Hindrance stress often depletes the employee's ability to exercise self-control and they lash out with aggressive and undermining behaviour toward their peers," added Eissa.
'It is precisely their passiveness, the lack of timely reaction and concrete moves, and often the cowardly attitude towards continued undermining of the BiH institutions and expressions of mere 'concern' that have encouraged this apartheid policy towards non-Serbs in the RS entity and a destructive policy towards the state itself.